That's all it is — "creature comforts." That's all we lost in late October/early November with our introduction to the very rude Sandy (sorry, Sandys of the world. I might just look at you in a little different light until this wears off).

Loss of electricity, loss of hot water, loss of food, loss of heat, water in the basement, having to fill the toilets with water from jugs (from water in the bathtub or basement), a few down trees, etc. No one in our house was hurt. The house wasn't damaged. The vehicle is OK (although I had wished a tree would have fallen on it). We just lost our "creature comforts."

We've become soft. Or should I say, I've become soft. I expect these comforts. They are a part of my life — a part of what I've gotten used to. Not luxuries. Not extravagance. Just what I consider necessities — hot shower in the morning, heat in the house, hot food, wireless at my beck-and-call, etc.

But these are only necessities for us and the way we live. I've traveled to India enough and have enough information about third-world countries to know that some of these are not necessities to them, or, can I say, necessities at all.

Our ancestors — going way back — lived outdoors. No house. No clothes. No toilets. No TVs or Internet. None of the "creature comforts" we've come to expect. They seemed to have survived pretty well in their environment.

Caves turned out to give protection from the elements ... providing you weren't sharing this with some sort of beast. Eventually, tents and crude buildings were built. But that didn't stop many from living outside. Jesus noted to one "soft" would-be follower of His that — foxes have holes and birds of the air have next, but He had no place to lay His head. You may have never thought of this, I hadn't until recently: Jesus didn't have showers or flush toilets either.

This entire crisis has reopened my eyes and hopefully I've got it this time, that all these "creature comforts" should (first), cause me to be grateful ("Thank you Lord"); second, should not be taken for granted; third, should not be expected; fourth, I should appreciate the fact that I am much better off than 80 percent of the rest of the world; and fifth, I can adjust, I can survive when I lose these comforts.

If I can hold onto these things and more, as well as following the Good Books exhortation of "being content no matter the circumstances," then this date to dance with Sandy has not been wasted.